My cruise is getting closer and closer, and I am getting some of the details worked out now. I have paid for the cruise, booked a few excursions, and now I am booking flights and hotels. I have a couple questions though...

1. If we decide to fly in and out of Seattle the same day as our cruise leaves and comes back, what is the latest/earliest you would recommend?

The flights to Seattle get in at early as 10a so we are shooting for that if we don't come in a day or two before the cruise. But what about going home. I am trying to find the happy medium where we aren't rushed to get to the airport, but trying not to get back home too late that night. Is a flight departing at 1:50p too early?

2. If we go a day or two early, what hotels would you recommend near Pike Place Market? How far is that area from Pier 91? I was looking into the Westin, but I have never heard of it before.

Both of those times for arriving and departing Seattle should work out nicely. You have about a 20 to 30 minute drive from the airport to the port. It is also easy enough to grab a cab for both drives.

Great! Thank you! I have never flown to a cruise, so I don't know how long it takes to get off the ship and to the airport. I am hoping we can spare a few days before to explore Seattle, but we haven't decided yet. Does Princess let passengers who are flying disembark before others? Thanks!

Great! Thank you! I have never flown to a cruise, so I don't know how long it takes to get off the ship and to the airport. I am hoping we can spare a few days before to explore Seattle, but we haven't decided yet. Does Princess let passengers who are flying disembark before others? Thanks!

If you are cruising out of Seattle those times are fine.

Depending on traffic it will take 25 to 40+ minutes to get to the airport.

Once you have your flight times fill that in with your online information. Also, fill out the flight questionnaire you will receive on board. The ship will give out disembarkation tags and times based on when your flight leaves.

There are a number of hotels in the Pike's Market area and all are a relatively short cab ride to the pier.

I do strongly suggest coming in a couple of days early, rent a car, and explore the Seattle and Olympic Peninsula area. It is beautiful.

Take care,
Mike

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Oh, okay. Good to know. Thanks all! After talking to the Hubby I think we'll be flying in early Friday Morning, then staying one night in a hotel pre cruise. That way we'll have one full day to explore Seattle.

Just an update... We booked our flight leaving Phoenix at 7:15a arriving in Seattle at 10:15a Friday before our cruise.

After a little research, I found a beautiful hotel that is .01 miles from the lightrail station and booked it. We will be able to take the lightrail from the airport straight to our hotel for around $2.75 each. I called the Hotel and they said if our room is ready we can check in early and if not we can leave our luggage with them until it is ready. We're staying walking distance from Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and downtown which will make it easy to see Seattle before we leave Saturday on our cruise.

The Hotel (Mayflower Park btw) offered a pre-cruise package that included a hot breakfast and our shuttle to the cruise pier, so we did that. We are so excited!

After the cruise we still haven't decided how we'll get from the pier to the airport, but our flight doesn't leave until 4:55pm to we could take a shuttle/cab back to downtown for lunch before heading to the airport via lightrail. I am thinking I should have booked an earlier flight back home, but I didn't want to be rushed and don't think it is worth changing to an earlier flight now.

Any ideas on what we could do from debarkation until we have to be at the airport? We'll have all our luggage, so that will be a little bit of a pain.